Metallic telephone booth



March 9,1943. c. A. HALLAM 2,313,471

METALLIC TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed April 29, 1941 '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

5C5 20 L A 1 mum r01? C. A .HAL

y %c%mw@k ATTORNEY March 9 c. A. HALLAM METALLIC TELEPHONE BQOTH Filed April 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG INVENFOR C. 14- HALLAM .ATTORNQL March 9, 1943. c, A, HALLAM METALLIC TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed April 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVE/VTOR By C. ,4. HALL/4M U %(a%mz/ A I ATTORNEY- March 9 1943. c. A. HALL'AM 2,313,471

METALLIC TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed April 29,-1941 5 Sheets-Sheet -5 INVENTOR C. A HAL LAM ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1943 METALLIC TELEPHONE BOOTH Gecil A. Hallam, Westfield, N. J., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Aprzi ze, 1941, Serial No. 390,893

5 Claims. (01. 18-9-2) This invention relates to metallic telephone booths and the object of the invention is to simplify the construction of such booths and reduce their manufacturing cost.

. In accordance with this invention a metallic telephone booth is provided in which a metallic plate forms a base for the booth to the corners of which upright metallic members are welded which serve for securing the lower ends of the booth corner posts and metallic strips in assembled relation to the base, the metallic strips in turn serving to secure the side walls and the rear wall of the booth in assembled relation to the corner posts. A metallic spacer member, secured to the top disposed ends of the corner posts,

forms with the corner posts the entrance to the booth, while a roof plate, which is secured to each of the corner posts, holds the rear corner posts in spaced relation to each other and in spaced relation to the corner posts which form the entrance of the booth. A perforated plate, which is provided with rims at its periphery, forms the ceiling for the booth, this plate cooperating with the roof plate to form a container for sound proofing material, one of the rims, the spacer, the roof plate and top portions of the side walls cooperating with a third plate to form a casing for housing a lighting fixture, the third plate being provided with an opening fitted with a door giving access to the lamp of the lighting fixture from the interior of the booth.

The entrance formed by the spacer member and the front corner posts is provided with a door of two folding sections, one of which is hinged to one of the corner posts and folds with the other section interiorly of the booth, being guided by a slider carried by one of the sections engaging a track formed with the third plate at the front top end of the booth, each of the sections of the door comprising two hollow members and two spacer members secured to the ends of the hollow members, the hollow members and the spacer members being slotted longitudinally for receiving a rubber cushion fitted around the periphery of a glass plate, means being provided for securing the spacer members of each section to the hollow members, such securing means comprising means for readily locating the plate glass in concentric relation to the frame formed by the assembly of the hollow and the spacer members.

Other novel features of the invention and ad- .vantages will appear from the following description and by the claims appended thereto, referof Fig. 2 showing the rear wall, the side walls,

the'ceiling and the roof with portions broken away;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the booth shown in perspective with a number of parts in section;

Fig. 7 is a view of the base shown in perspective;

Fig. 8 is a view of the door in its unfolded position shown in cross-section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2 and with a folding section with portions broken away;

Fig. 9 is a portion of one of the folding sections of the door showing a number of parts in vertical section;

Fig. 10 is a top view of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a view of one of the walls shown .in perspective showing the cover and box-like elements in assembled relation to each other.

Referring to the drawings, a metallic plate l0 which serves as a base for the booth is provided with four upright disposed members ll, [2, l3 and I4 of channel shaped cross-section serving for securing the lower end of four corner posts CPI, CP2, CP3 and 0P4, best seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. These corner posts consist of metallic members bl, b2, b3 and M of substantially rightangle cross-section having their longitudinal edges bent inwardly in lines parallel to the plane surfaces of their sides for clamping the longitudinal edges of metallic members 01, c2, c3 and c4 bent longitudinally to register with the crosssection of the upright members ll, l2, l3 and I4 carried by the base plate in to which they are secured as by screws I5 in a manner which will be hereinafter described in detail. The corner posts CPl, CPZ, CPS and CPA thus formed are held in assembled relation at their upper ends by a roof plate I6, best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, by screws I l passing through clearance holes l8 at the rear corner of the roof plate It and engaging similar screw-threaded holes in lugs l9 formed at the upper disposed ends of therear corner posts CP3 and CPA. The corner posts CPI and CP2 are held in spaced relation at the front end of the booth by a U-shaped channel spacer member to which the front edge of roof plate I6 is secured by a number of screws (SCS shown in Fig. 2) passing through clearance holes CH in the plate I6 for engaging threaded holes TH in the spacer member 20. This spacer member forms the front wall of the top end of the booth and is secured to the corner posts CPI and CP2 as by a number of screws 2I and 22, while screws as 23, Fig. 5, secure the roof plate IE to the rear, right and left side walls of the booth which will be hereinafter described in detail. The rear wall and the side walls of the booth as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 11 are each formed of similar boxlike sections and 26 of substantially equal lengths forming the outer walls of the booth and three inner disposed cover-like sections 21, 28 and 29 interfitting with the box-like sections 25 and 26 to form therewith containers for soundproofing material PM of rock wool, the coverlike sections 21 and 28 of each wall as shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 11 being apertured so as to prevent the so-called diaphragm action of these sections while the inner cover-like section 29 of each wall interfits with its associated inner disposed boX-like section 26 and cooperates therewith to form a container for sound-proofing material such as rock wool serving as a filler or backing between the box and cover-like sections of each wall.

The vertical edges of the rear wall and one of the vertical edges of the right and left side walls thus formed are held collectively in assembled position with the rear corner posts CP3 and CP4 by similar metallic strips 3I held secured at their lower ends by the screws I5, Fig. 4, engaging clearance holes in the strips 3I and in the bars C3 and C4 of the corner posts CP3 and CP'4 for engaging screw-threaded holes in the upright members I3 and I4 welded to the base I0, while in spaced relation above the upright members I3 and I4 the strips 3i are secured to the bars C3 and C4 of corner posts CP3 and 0P4 by a number of screws I5A best seen in Figs. 1 and 6, thus clamping the edges of the walls between the corner posts and the strips. The front vertical edges of the right and left side walls are held on the front corner posts CPI and CP2 by strips 30 having their longitudinal edges bent at an angle to register with the plane of the side wall and that of the portion of bars CI and C2 which are parallel to the plane of the side walls for clamping them against the rim formed by the inwardly turned edges B and B2 of corner posts CPI and CP2, the strip being secured at their lower ends to the upright members II and I2 by the screws I5 engaging clearance holes in .the strips 39 and the bars CI and C2 of corner posts CPI and CP2 and engaging screw-threaded holes in the upright members II and I2 welded to the base plate Ill.

To the box-like sections 25 and 26 of the right and rear walls of the booth as shown in Fig. 4 are secured, as by welding, reenforcing pieces 32 and 32A serving for securing as by screws 8C2, a bracket 33 provided for mounting the telephone apparatus in the form of the coin collector box 34, the screws SCZ passing through clearance holes in the perforated plates 28 and plates 29 forming the cover-like sections to serve as added supports for the reenforcing pieces 32 and 32A, bracket 33 being formed with a shelf 35 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

A ceiling for the booth as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is formed of a perforated plate 36 having a peripherally disposed rim 31 forming with this plate a container for receiving sound-proofing material as rock wool 33. This container is held securely to the under-side of roof plate I6 by a plurality of angle pieces 39 welded to the ceiling plate 36 adjacent the intersecting point of rim 3'! and secured to the roof plate I6 by screw 40 best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, passing through clearance holes in the roof plate I6 and engaging screw-threaded holes in the angle pieces 39, while a rim 4 IA in cooperation with the rear and rightside disposed rim 3? of the ceiling forms an air path as shown in Fig. 3 serving for the ventilation of the booth by the operation of a fan F mounted in the interior of the booth in vertical alignment with the air path formed by the rim MA and lower elements LM in the roof plate l6 as shown in Fig. 6, rim 4IA cooperating with braces as 4| which are welded to the rim 3'! of the ceiling to hold the latter at their upper disposed edges in adjusted angular relation to each other.

The spacer member 20 as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 is formed along its lower disposed edge inwardly of the booth with an inverted U-shaped channel element 42 serving as a guide-way for a slider member 43 carried by the door of the booth which will be hereinafter described in detail.

A plate 44 best seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 6 has one of its longitudinal edges secured to the inverted U-shaped chamiel elements 42 of spacer member 20 by a number of screws 45 and its opposite longitudinal edge portion is bent to register with the angle formed by the under-side of ceiling 36 and the rim 3? of the top front side of the booth, the plate 44, the front disposed rim 31, the roof plate i6 and the spacer member 2%] cooperating to form a casing for housing a lighting fixture in the form of reflector 46, the lamp 4?, the socket 48 and the bracket 49 secured as by welding to plate I6. The plate 44 as shown in Fig. 4 is provided with an opening permitting access to lamp 41 from the interior of the booth upon the opening of a door 56 hinged as at 5| to the plate at, this door which is fitted with a glass plate being held in the closed position by a knob 52 in screw-threaded engagement with the plate 44.

The door for the booth consists of the folding sections 53 and 54 of substantially equal width shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 8. These sections are pivoted as by a piano hinge at the point 55 while section 5 is pivoted to the corner post CP2 by a number of hinges 56 and 5'5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Each of the door sections 53 and 54 consists of a frame made of tubular or hollow members 58 having one of its sides slotted longitudinally and a tubular member 59 having one of its sides chamfered and its opposite sides slotted longitudinally for a purpose which will be hereinafter describedin detail. The tubular members 58 and 59 of each section 53 and 64 are held in spaced relation at their upper and lower ends by similar spaced members 62 having their inwardly turned edges secured to the tubular member 58 as by screws 63 best seen in Fig. 8, passing through clearance holes in the edges of spacer member 62 and in the inwardly turned edges of tubular member 58 in screw-threaded engagement with abutting elements as 66 serving for locating a plate glass Si in the slots of the frame formed by the tubular members 58 and 59 and the spacer members 62. The other end of spacer members 62 is spot-welded as at points P and PI to the tubular member 59. following the placing of a rubber molding RM at the periphery of plate glass 6! as shown in Figs. 4, 8, 9 and 10.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is merely illustrative and may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention as pointed out in and solely limited by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A metallic telephone booth comprising a base, upright members secured at one of their ends to said base, corner posts secured to said members, two side walls and a rear wall, means for securing said side walls and said rear walls to said corner posts, a plate forming a roof for said booth, secured to said corner posts for holding them in spaced relation and secured to said side walls and to said rear wall, a ceiling secured to the under-side of said roof plate, said ceiling having peripherally disposed rims cooperating with said roof plate to form a closed casing, and sound-proofing material housed in said casing.

2. A telephone booth comprising a base, upright members secured to said base, a rear wall and two side walls, a plurality of corner posts, a plurality of metallic strips for securing said rear wall and said side walls to said corner posts, means for securing one of said corner posts and one of said strips collectively, to each of said upright members, two of said corner posts forming the entrance of the booth, a channel-shaped member secured to the last-mentioned corner posts at the top end thereof for holding them in spaced relation to each other and to form the front wall of the booth, a door of folding sections hinged to one of said corner posts, a slider member carried by the other of said sections, guiding means for said slider formed with said channel spacer member for controlling the movement of said sections, and a roof plate secured to said channel spacer member and to the other corner posts at the rear of the booth for holding them in spaced relation to each other and in spaced relation with the corner posts at the entrance of the booth.

3. A telephone booth comprising a metallic plate forming a base for the booth, upright mem-- bers secured at one of their ends to said plate, a rear wall and two side walls, a plurality of corner posts, a plurality of metallic strips for securing said rear wall in assembled relation with said corner posts, means for securing one of said strips and one of said corner posts to each of said upright members, a spacer member secured to the top end of two of said corner posts and cooperating therewith to form the entrance of the booth, a roof plate having its front edge secured to said spacer member, a box-like ceiling secured to the under-side of said roof plate to form a container, sound-proofing material in said container, a second plate having means disposed longitudinally thereof for engaging one side of said container and having its other edge secured to said spacer member, said roof plate, said spacer member, said side walls and said ceiling forming a casing at the top front end of the booth, a lamp socket secured to said spacer member in said casing, and a reflector for said lamp secured to said second plate.

4. A telephone booth having a base, corner posts, two side walls and a rear wall, each of said side walls and said rear wall comprising two box-like sections and. three cover-like sections, reenforcing means welded to the boxlike sections of said rear wall and the box-like section of one of said side walls, a combined bracket and shelf for the booth, means extending through one of said cover-like sections of said rear wall and one of said side walls in engagement with said reenforcing means for supporting the latter, and a telephone apparatus mounted on said bracket.

5. A telephone booth comprising a base, a rear wall and two side walls, a plurality of corner posts, means for securing said corner posts to said base, means for securing said side walls and said rear wall in assembled relation to said corner posts, a spacer member secured to the top ends of two of said corner posts and cooperating therewith to form the entrance of the booth, a roof plate having its front edge secured to said spacer member, an apertured ceiling plate, means for securing said ceiling plate to said roof plate in spaced relation to each other, said ceiling plate having rims atits periphery to form with said roof plate a container, sound-proofing ma terial in said container, a rectangular shaped plate having one of its longitudinal edges bent at a number of points to register with the angle formed by said ceiling plate and one of said rims and the other longitudinal edge of said rectangular plate bent to register with one of the edges of said spacer member, means for securing the last-mentioned edge of said plate to said spacer member, said roof plate, said ceiling plate, said side walls and one of said rims cooperating with said spacer member to form a casing at the top front end of the booth, a lighting fixture in said casing, an opening in said rectangular plate disposed concentric to the lamp of the lighting fixture, and a door hinged to said rectangular plate to give access to said lamp from the interior of the booth.

CECIL A. HALLAM. 

